Set-up in 2009, Drysdale Electrical Services Engineering has grown to become a leader in its field and has also earned a glowing reputation for competence, quality and competitiveness.
Company founder and Managing Director Daniel Drysdale, originally from South Africa but in Ireland for over twenty years, founded the business over a decade ago and gave Building Ireland the lowdown on his company, some of its past and present projects and how the business has been going lately.
“We are primarily an electrical contracting firm with a commercial fit out contracting division also, about an 80% / 20% split. Originally we would have been focused more on commercial & industrial markets with a little residential but with so much residential work in the industry currently due to the housing crisis we made an internal decision over four years ago to aggressively go after housing & apartment block contracts and have had great success cornering our share of the market primarily in Dublin and commuter areas. However, over the past decade, the company has completed projects all over Ireland in the residential, commercial, retail, medical and hospitality sectors.” Daniel outlined.
Since ‘Day One’, Drysdale Electrical Services Engineering has stayed committed to innovation in project delivery and is constantly advancing the way in which it operates. It currently manages over forty staff and subcontractors between two bases in Dublin and Cavan. The culmination of qualified and experienced staff, long-term partnerships and strong business ethics has helped to ensure that Drysdale Electrical Services Engineering delivers the most professional service on every project, every time. Drysdale has become renowned for delivering the most reliable, efficient & professional service in the sector at competitive prices.
Having gained electrical experience across various industries but predominantly automation in South Africa’s vast motor manufacturing empire, on arriving in Ireland in 2000, Daniel went on to complete his degree in Electrical Services Engineering in DIT Kevin Street. He helped grow Cosgrove Electrical Services in Blanchardstown from a two man operation in 2000 to what it is today before making the decision to go out on his own and has not looked back since.
“I arrived in Ireland in 2000 and the building industry would have been booming here at the time, as you know,” he said. “Working with Cosgrave Electrical Services helped show me the ropes here in Dublin and how the electrical services industry operated in Ireland.”
Speaking on the origins of the business, Daniel explained that the timing of his company’s incorporation had both negative and positive aspects to it, given the economic recession that kicked in around 2008. While the country’s construction industry was in a slump, Daniel still thought it an ideal time to start up an electrical services engineering firm in Dublin.
“I took the decision then to go out on my own and it was 2009 when I set-up the company. The country was in a recession but, at the same time, we were perfectly poised to take advantage of the upturn when it eventually came in 2014/2015 with a well established company that had been trading for some years at this stage.”
Indeed the business has since grown year and on year and today, the people at Drysdale Electrical Services Engineering have the in-depth knowledge and in-house expertise to provide a first class electrical service on any project from initial design right through to completion and hand over.
“It will come as no surprise that most of our work is based in Dublin, but we regularly go as far as Kildare, Wicklow, Meath and Cavan to work on various projects, given the close proximity to our bases. Even though there are additional costs involved when working on projects in counties further afield, we have worked and will continue to work all over Ireland for the right projects to keep our long term customers happy,” said the Managing Director.
In recent years, the company decided to shift a little more of its focus to the domestic residential market due to the domestic boom due to the housing crisis and has been working with numerous builders and developers on residential projects along with all the commercial projects that have always been their main focus.
“Sisk set-up a residential department called Sisk Living three years ago, so that’s where we would have got our foot in the door with them. We’re on our third project with them now, some of which have won awards recently for energy efficiency etc We have also recently wrapped up work on a government rapid build project in Tallaght & are in the final stages of another in Clodalkin with Sisk, a testament I think to the service we at Drysdale provide.
“All the work Drysdale have on our books at present will keep us busy until mid-summer next year at least but we are constantly hiring and growing the company conservatively to keep all our existing and new clients need met with the best service”, Daniel explained. “We’re on a rapid build at the minute for Sisk and just finished work on another rapid build out at St Aidan’s in Tallaght,” he said.
“That’s for the South Dublin Council and we’re hoping to hand it over in May.”
Daniel went on to point out: “We’re also currently working on many other projects with the likes of Durkan Residential, O’Flynn Group, MDY Construction, Demac Group, DJI Group, St. John of God’s & Belgrove Homes to name but a few so we’re kept busy at the moment.”
So what has been the secret to success so far? How has a company which started in the middle of an economic recession grown to employ 40 full-time staff between two different bases?
For Daniel, it has always been about the quality & timely manner of work his company has produced down through the years and his still very active participation in every element of the business.
“You have to keep your finger firmly on the pulse” he laughed.
“Repeat business is about leaving good, well managed and well finished projects behind you and I think we do that here,” he said. “We have done so much repeat business with so many valued clients over the years, so that’s a sure sign that what we’re doing here works, I think it’s a testament in itself to our abilities.”
Certainly, the signs have been good for some time now and another crucial element of the continued success of Drysdale has been the company’s commitment to safety on a daily basis.
Drysdale Electrical Services Engineering take responsibility for the co-ordination and implementation of Health & Safety Management for all of their employees and sub-contractors in relation to the scope of works of any particular project. A primary concern of the company is to create a safe place of work and a safe working environment for all of its employees. They endeavour to protect all employees safety with a strict ‘Safety First Policy’ led from the top down.
Drysdale Electrical Services Engineering has positioned itself as one of the leading electrical contractors in Dublin & Ireland, dedicated to maintaining its reputation for quality work and competitiveness in the market, ultimately leading to satisfied clients and maintained partnerships.
“We feel the professional model we apply in our business will ensure we continue to go from strength to strength in the coming years.”
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, July, Vol 5 No 7
